Ciao, amici! As I write this, I’m waiting for my coffee to finish brewing. That means I’m once again in need of caffeine. But as I wait, I want to share a bit about my writing week.

I think I mentioned that I’m currently writing a sci-fi series. If I didn’t, sorry. Now you know. (They say the memory is the second thing to go.) I’ve written short sci-fi but never a novel, let alone a series. So far, it’s been interesting. I’m using an outline (of course I am) but I’ve veered from it more than ever before. Things keep coming to me to enrich the story, and I have to weave those threads in. It’s kind of freeing, but it’s also kind of terrifying to leave my outline as much as I have been.

Which brings me to Isaac Asimov’s quote, which really felt appropriate to me this week:

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.

I’ve been doing a lot of that this week. The good news is, it seems to be working.

61 thoughts on “Author Inspiration and This Week’s Writing Links”

I do remember you mentioning your venture into sci-fi. I used to read it years ago; might have to pick it up again 🙂 Love Asimov’s quote. I learned that first hand through the 6 (7? 8?) drafts I’ve done (so far) for book 2.

I have an idea of where I want to go. Problem is, so does a cow. A cow might want to get into the other field, but if you ever noticed, cow paths are not straight. They meander about. They Start in the direction, go over there to check out something tasty, go over the to the creek for a drink, maybe circle back for more clover, and sooner or later get to the field.

Now when it comes to writing, I often think that makes it a little more interesting because life is rarely going from point A to B directly (applies only to airlines, and even that is subject to change). An example is a buy I detail in my upcoming novel, Dead Friends. a covert operative is sent in to purchase dope, a lot of it. They need to have eyes on him and be ready to yank him out if they need to. We go through the whole planning process, of how a team will get close to provide over watch, and another team ready to come in and rescue him. We have chase cars to keep an eye on him. All of that for an operation that foes off without a hitch.

Or when they take the place down the drugs were purchased from. I have an officer take a bullet. She’s not seriously injured, her body armor stops it, but it causes some psychological trauma. No where in the original draft did she take a bullet. but what she goes through elevates her from an almost background character to one of the frontline characters.

I’ve never heard a writer compared to a cow. That’s an image that’s going to stick with me.

It’s perfect, though. We don’t go straight from point A to point B in real life. Why should our characters? That would be boring. The meandering brings the interest. I plot a few of those detours and explore the surprise ones that pop up as I write. Sometimes they are a waste of time, but more often than not they lead to something wonderful.

I’m hoping as you wander you find a lot more natural springs and wildflowers and a lot fewer cow patties in your writing path.

Well, I guess that’s to be expected from a cowboy. Could be worse, I could have been a sheepman. When the Bible refers to us as sheep, it isn’t a compliment. They are probably the single, dumbest animal on the face of the Earth.

How exciting, Staci! I think sometimes “veering” away from what we’ve always done can stimulate even more creativity. That being said, I’ve been stuck on a chapter for weeks. I can’t seem to get it right. I want to move on, but what I do in this chapter will turn the story one way or another. Maybe there is something to all this outlining stuff. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

I’m like you, Jan. I can’t move ahead until I get things just right. Too much comes later that I’d need to revise. I don’t understand how people can write out of order.

I’m an outliner. I recommend outlining for the exact reason you’re mentioning. You don’t get lost or write yourself into a corner if you outline. I don’t adhere to mine too closely, and obviously not nearly as closely in my WIP, which has caused a few problems (but they were easily resolved on Friday). Maybe before you write your way out of this chapter, you can jot a barest-bones plan so you have a general route to the end.

I love posting links every week. There’s so much great content out there, I think it’s convenient if people can find even a tiny fraction of it in one place. Wishing you much luck in your writing and publishing journey!

Glad to hear you had a good writing week Staci. I’m excited about your new series. I always outline and alway veer off from it so I know what you mean. I am going to have to outline the new story I started soon when I figure out where its going that is.

What a true quote how the words pour from the fingers. I’ve wondered if I could write a book speaking the words instead over typing, but its seems an entirely different process. Have a great weekend Staci!

I started playing with dictation last year. It didn’t go well. I’d like to try again, but I don’t have the time to train the software to work efficiently. Maybe in a few months when things calm down. But honestly, at this point, I feel like I type faster than I dictate then clean up (because yes, there’s definitely cleaning up to be done).

Can’t say I’ve read much sci-fi, but for you I’ll have to make an exception 🙂
I haven’t seen Stargate (I know, blasphemy, lol), though I really enjoyed The Guardians of the Galaxy.
Enjoy your writing, it’s great when the muse is upon us!

That is blasphemy! If you get the El Rey network, they have Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis on twice a day. I often put them on, but I subscribe to Stargate Command, which gives me access to the movie and four Stargate franchises, so I can really watch whenever.

And GotG is one of my favorite MCU films. It has nothing to do with Chris Pratt’s abs, I swear. 😉 It was just a really well-conceived story. And Rocket and Groot are hilarious.

Ha! I’m doing my best, Teri. I’ve added in so much that I only got a few thousand words today. Instead of writing more, I had to go back and re-read everything to adjust changed details and messed up flow.

But more words tomorrow. I promise. Thanks for the excitement. It spurs me on.

Don’t miss out on Staci Troilo’s latest Author Inspiration & This Week’s Writing Links post. Some of the best, yet! The one on creating an effective Book Bub ad caught my eye right away. Check it out, and pass it along! Thanks. (And thanks, Staci! Another great recap!)

I love them, Staci, and never fail to find several links that are right up my alley. Love the inspirational quotes, as well! Thanks for doing them, so people as far behind as I can have a fighting chance at catching up. 😀 ❤

People who remember our TV series group post at Story Empire know I’m a huge fan of the Stargate franchise. (In fact, I have an episode of Stargate Atlantis on right now as I go through email.) I’m a huge fan. It’s not the plot, although the overarching series theme as well as each episode arc is always well developed. It’s the characters. I find them rich and varied and interesting, and their interpersonal relationships really suck me in. I can’t guarantee my take on sci-fi will be sciencey enough (especially since I’m not a scientist), but I’m hoping all the relationships come through.This time, I’m working in an established world (something I said I’d never do again, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity). If I opt to write another sci-fi down the road, I think the relationships will still be key, though I’d do things a little differently (since I’d get to create the world and canon).

In any event, the characters are talking to me, and all of them are trying to take over. I thought this was going to be Landon’s story, but apparently everyone wants more page time. It’s starting to look like a Stephen King book, with several characters getting POV time. It’s a matter of wrangling it all in now.

I know you don’t outline, but you always end up with literary gold. Having had a sneak peek at Eventide, I can honestly say you are brilliant. You might make things easier on yourself if you outlined, but not having a plan hasn’t hampered you.

Wow! Thanks for saying that about Eventide and my writing. I would like to take it easier on myself with an outline, LOL.

I’ve been a reader of science fiction since grade school, but it was never really the science elements that attracted me. It was always the characters. I watched the original Stargate for several seasons, although I liked the story arc in the movie better. That arc was continued in several novels afterward. And as corny as it sounds, I LOVED the original Battlestar Galatica series. Yeah, the show was hokey, but the character relationships were gold That’s always what attracts me to any form of entertainment (movies, books, shows) and you excel at character relationships, so even though you’re writing in an established world, I know you’re going to hit it out of the planet! 🙂

You and Michele… I’m not pantsing; I’m veering. Big distinction. lol
Seriously, I can’t write without an outline. I can’t even imagine what this beast would look like if I tried to do it without a plan. I’d be in tears right now.